'Marlboro Country' Montana Gets Smoking Ban

fox ^ | 4-7-05

[LouAvul]

HELENA, Mont. — Montana, which has served as Marlboro Country in magazine ads depicting rugged cowboys puffing on cigarettes while riding a fence line, is about to outlaw smoking just about everywhere but the great outdoors.

The state Legislature voted Thursday to ban smoking in all enclosed public places, including bars and restaurants.

The Senate approved the measure 40-10 on Thursday. It passed the House last month.

Gov. Brian Schweitzer (search) said he will sign it. Montana (search) will become one of just 10 states to ban smoking on such a widespread scale. California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island have similar laws.

[185JHP]

The desire of the Framers to protect the selfish desires of people to use a powerful drug, by setting a weed on fire, just leaps out of the Constitution at you. What part of it doesn't protect obnoxious behavior!?

[CSM]

"The States are getting no tax relief from this settlement."

It is a well known and publicised fact that Michigan puts the MSA revenues in the general budget, in fact the previous governor helped defeat a ballot proposal to force the money be spent on tobacco related health care and quit smoking assistance. BTW, that previous gov. was a Republican......

Many other states practice the same theft. I'll let the residents of those states address their issues.

[CSM]

"Don't they get it? THAT'S WHEN PEOPLE START TO DIE---I have lost lots of friends in the past 10 years,some smoked,some were ex-smokers,and some never smoked."

You must be wrong, non-smokers never die!

[CSM]

"That Wild Man 10? He thinks I live in a double wide filled with smoke. haha!!!"

Don't forget that you are a dreg of society!

[CSM]

Well, we have all of these:

---

5th Ammendment: "nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation."

---

14th Ammendment: "nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law;"

---

Declaration: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

---

Yep, from the look of things the issues of private property or a person's ability to own a business and earn a living (persuit of happiness) wasn't very important to the founders.

[SheLion]

The day I meet a "FReeper" face to face who tells me that government bans of smoking on private property is a good thing is the day I will turn off my computer.

Yep.  They sure can talk a rough game on their key boards, but in real life face-to-face?  ummmm I don't think so.

[SheLion]

My all time favorites are:

1. We all have low birth weight babies.

2. Our kids are more likely to become delinquents.

3. The filthy stuff on our walls has to be SCRAPED off!(Remember that one).

$. The entire non-smoking poulation has to pay our huge medical bills.

See how the professional anti's have brain washed these people?  Now!  Surely they have friends and family members that smoke and they can SEE that the above is just not true.

They have been SO easily swayed that it's frightening.

[Gabz]

Well, except for unforeseen computer problems I have been experiencing of late - I haven't shut my computer down!!!

[SheLion]

Government Health Police.........
...........THEY ARE EVERYWHERE.....THEY ARE EVERYWHERE.......RUN AWAY....RUN AWAY.....RUN AWAY......

And guess who is paying for them?! ugh

Government Health Police.........
...........THEY ARE EVERYWHERE.....THEY ARE EVERYWHERE.......RUN AWAY....RUN AWAY.....RUN AWAY......

And guess who is paying for them?! ugh

[Mears]

Scary,isn't it?

Brainwashing,combined with a little hysteria,can accomplish some really frightening social engineering.

[Final Authority]

I lived in MT for two summers working for the USFS fighting fires and enjoyed the bars when at station. The town I was assigned had 13 bars but 14 places of worship so it was considered a civilized outpost. I actually plan to visit this summer with my family and as part of the trip planning I have been investigating prices of everything comparing them to the past and inflation. I have found that the local economics have been good over the years. I suspect that it is based on outside capital and "rich" folks buying up what isn't owned by the USDA, BLM, and railroads.

I suspect that the local governments have been influenced by the likes of Ted Hanoi Jane Turner and others who have purchased hundreds of square miles of land in the state in which to segregate themselves from the wicked masses.

In reality, MT is like every other state in which right minded people seek to work in an environment that is as healthy as can be made within certain constraints. The elimination of cigarette smoke is something that can be done universally and is becoming the norm, not the exception.

[Gabz]

In reality, MT is like every other state in which right minded people seek to work in an environment that is as healthy as can be made within certain constraints. The elimination of cigarette smoke is something that can be done universally and is becoming the norm, not the exception.

Right minded people don't go running to the government to do things for them. Right minded people talk to owners and operaters of businesses or their bosses and co-workers. Right minded people DO NOT demand their personal preferences be taken care of at the point of a gun.

By a nearly 2 to 1 vote elected officials in Virginia told whining selfish cry-babies that the right minded people of Virginia understand the concept of personal responsibility and private property.

Smoking bans have little to do with smoking and even less to do with health, but every thing to do with money, control, and selfishness.

[Final Authority]

You talked about right minded people, ie, non-smokers. How about a smoker changing careers just to be able to smoke on the job. Happens all of the time but I can't see it as move that is very enlightening however.

[Gabz]

There are lots of non-smoking right minded people - right minded people are not anti-smokers or anti-private property rights.

Government control of private property rights is never a right-minded position.

I actually had the police dragged into my office one day by one of your type of right-minded people because I was smoking at my desk when someone mistook my office building for a state building. In the end the officer explained to her that he would have to charge her with trespassing if she did not stop her tirade about me smoking in my PRIVATE business.

Many of these smoking bans hit those who are self-employed especially hard - the bans include people's homes. The bans include all "workplaces" and many self-employed people work from their homes. There are many anti-smoker fascists who think that is just fine.

Personally I think people should butt out (pun intended) and mind their own business. You talk about people changing jobs so they can smoke - guess what? you anti-smokers can do the same and only work where the COMPANY, not the government says smoking is prohibitted.

[Final Authority]

Do you think hospital nurses should be able to smoke on the job? Do you think smoking in hospitals is banned because the administration just wants to frustrate the addicted? Or, do you think it could be because of health concerns? Therefore, shouldn't even the hospitality industry workers enjoy the same concerns for ones health?

Your anecdotal story is easy to believe if one believes a person mistook a private business for a government office.

[Gabz]

I have absolutely no problem with a hospital administration banning smoking at a facility. No one is forced to work in an environment they find not to their liking. There are plenty of hospitality establishments that do not permit smoking for the non-smokers to choose to work in. Why are you advocating the force of the government to force smokers to work where they are not comfortable?

You seem to be totally missing my point - I have no problem with businesses banning smoking from their business - my problem is government forcing private businesses to do it.

As to believing my story - people mistaking my office for a state building happened on a daily basis. My building sat between a Court House and the Attorney General's office in Dover, DE. Someone coming out of the AG's office was told the Court House was next door........if they turned right leaving the office - if they turned left and wound up back on the street they encountered my office before the court house.

[Final Authority]

Read everything I have ever posted on these threads of the FR forum, I have never advocated government usurp the desires of private enterprise. You better get over that fact because every time you imply or state that, your argument holds no water. My argument and my comments are to add to the discussion in effect that notwithstanding your and other butt puffers protestations, smoking is a unnatural and unhealthful act and should be eliminated from public places. I prefer and would argue that government should stay out of it but in fact, we the people are the government (we includes me, you, other smokers, and your neighbor) and when we the people speak the government acts. Everytime you read or think "government" realize it is we the people.

When we the people were represented by a group of 75% or more smokers, we the people would have never eliminated smoking from public places. Now, we the people are at least 75% non-smokers and the tide has changed and it is permanent and growing.

Would you argue that government has no responsibility or authority to make laws regarding health in the workplace or health in general? If you do then you are a libertarian and among the minority.

I think the dead horse can't be beaten any more so I will defer any more comments on this matter to others.

[Gabz]

I have NEVER and will NEVER opine that government has no authority to regulate certain workplace standards. What I do opine is that you have no right to dictate to a private business the clientele to which he chooses to cater.

If your 75% is so concerned about the issue start openning your own businesses and leave alone those that do not have policies you like. If what you say is correct you will all do a booming business and as a matter of good business others will follow your example. But NO, you and your type do not care to risk your own wallets and so seek government intervention to force others to do your bidding. sounds more like a liberal than a conservative to me.

[Final Authority]

If one reads your first sentence correctly then by your own words, government, that is we the people, have the authority to regulate the health and safety standards in the workplace. In the case of this thread, the people did so. Period. End of story. Not the first time an electoral minority has lost, and since this electorate, smokers, is getting smaller every day, that electorate will continue to lose on issues as this.

[Gabz]

You ahve just contradicted yourself regarding government usurption of private enterprise. Therefore you become one without an arguement.

good day.